Around Maryland

Since the HCPSS Board of Education voted to lift the universal indoor masking requirement Feb. 24, face masks are now optional in county public schools. Parents shared varied opinions about the lifting of the mask requirement. Becky McGill-Wilkinson, of Columbia, is the mother of a preschooler and a first grader at Swansfield Elementary School in Columbia. She said she thinks the school system should have waited to lift the mask requirement until children of all ages can be vaccinated.

An explosion and fire that destroyed a Maryland apartment building last week was accidental and caused by a maintenance worker who cut a gas line instead of a waste pipe, an official said Monday. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Goldstein said his department cannot say what specifically ignited the fire in which 14 people were hospitalized. Goldstein said his department is wrapping up the investigation at the site.

Federal money will now be used to replace a 60-year-old highway bridge that connects Dundalk to Tradepoint Atlantic in addition to fixing or replacing hundreds of other bridges in Maryland. Inspectors declared the Baltimore County bridge that carries Maryland Route 157/Peninsula Expressway structurally deficient, which means it won't be able to handle the weight load of daily traffic much longer. Officials cite the bridge's age, rust and crumbling state and said replacement is a priority because of what the bridge connects.

The Frederick County Council is the only governing body in the county that still prohibits public attendance, though members hope to reopen meetings for the first time in two years beginning in April. All other municipal governments in the county have already reopened to the public or announced plans to, as have governing bodies in neighboring counties.

Emma Eckert, 20, dreams of landing a job as a teacher in the Howard County Public School System after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Salisbury University. Looking to gain hands-on classroom experience before entering the workforce, she took jobs as a substitute teacher in the school system during her summer and winter breaks. Since the school system announced that it is providing its substitute teachers with a 25% pay increase, Eckert said she will be able to save the money she needs to start her career as a teacher more quickly.

Chris Kinney, a resident of Rapides Parish in central Louisiana, has seen his electricity disconnected eight times in the past two years for falling behind on his energy bills to Cleco Power. His family did everything they could think of to catch up: pawning possessions, accumulating vast bank overdraft fees, borrowing money and applying for energy assistance. Somehow, Kinney’s outstanding balance kept growing.

The City of Annapolis will host several major events in the downtown area between March and May that will attract visitors from across the state—putting pressure on the city’s limited parking spaces, according to city officials. The event list includes the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, which will take place between March 25–26. Then the city will host an African Diaspora event on April 2.

Escalating a campaign to defend Keith Davis Jr., activist DeRay Mckesson began posting videos Monday with excerpts of courtroom testimony to pressure State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to drop the murder charges against the Baltimore man. With Davis’ fifth trial on the same murder charges — and sixth criminal trial stemming from the same day in 2015 — expected in May, Mckesson’s nonprofit Campaign Zero published online the first of what he said will be a series of videos bucking Maryland rules on broadcasting trial testimony.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Maryland Secretary of State John C. Wobensmith are warning residents about the potential for charity scams from people posing as workers with organizations helping the Ukraine. Both recommended Marylanders research charities through sites such as Charity Navigator to see if there are any red flags. “Scam artists seek every opportunity possible to prey on the generosity of well-intended donors,” said Wobensmith. “If you choose to give to help relieve the pain and suffering in Ukraine, please be vigilant and donate wisely to reputable, well-established charities.”